DRIVER DISQUALIFICATION FEATURE: Call for constant campaigns

An example of the breathalysers police will use during this month's drink-drive campaign. ENGSUS00120121213100551 ENGSUS00120121213100551

Published:11:00Friday 20 May 2016

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A Polish man has told the paper the promotion of the laws surrounding drink-driving was important and called for constant campaigns.

The man, who did not wish to be named, agreed with the link that was made between places with high levels of immigration and drink-driving, adding: “Not everyone from Boston is a drink-driver, but you have got to think about how the behaviour and responsibility of people who drink and use their car.

“If you look at the drink register [court listings] there are some Eastern European names, but there’s some English there as well.”

He said that drink-driving was policed strongly in Poland - particularly around holidays and including long weekends – and said the punishment for drink-driving was financially hefty.

According to the European Transport Safety Council’s website the Blood Alcohol Content Drink Driving Limit for normal drivers in Poland is 0.2 grammes per litre, 0.5 grammes per litre in Latvia and 0.4 grammes per litre in Lithuania. It is 0.8 grammes per litre in the UK, apart from Scotland where it is 0.5 grammes per litre.

However, the Polish community member said: “They come here, maybe they think they can do more - but I don’t think so.”

He said more needed to be done to promote the laws through local papers, radio and news sites as well - and suggested campaigns needed to be constant to remind people of the consequences of drink-driving.

He said: “It’s your decision if you drink and you get in your car and drive. That’s your choice but it’s the people you can hurt that matter - it’s about the lives of those people.”